The present invention relates generally to an attachment comb for use with a hair cutting device, in which the attachment comb assists the user in cutting hair to a uniform length, and more particularly to a two-piece attachment comb that is adjustable between several different settings so that a single attachment comb can be used for cutting hair to any one of several different uniform lengths.
Presently, a few different types of attachment combs are available for use with hair cutting devices (such as hair clippers or hair trimmers). Generally, when an attachment comb is used, it is affixed to one end of the hair cutting device, near the cutting blades, and the attachment comb enables the user to trim the hair of the subject to a uniform length because the attachment comb maintains the cutting blades at a set distance from the surface of the area where the hair is being cut. Most attachment combs are designed to cut the hair to one, and only one, predetermined length. Attachment combs of this type will be referred to as single length attachment combs. When using a single length attachment comb, if one desires to cut the hair to a different length, a different single length attachment comb must be utilized. Thus, with single length attachment combs, a set of attachment combs of different sizes must be purchased and stored, and one attachment comb must be removed and another installed every time a different length cut is desired.
To avoid the need for the purchase and storage of multiple single length attachment combs of different sizes, adjustable attachment combs are also available. Adjustable attachment combs are capable of providing the user with a choice of different trimmed hair lengths from a single attachment comb. One example of such an adjustable attachment comb is disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,622,745.
The adjustable attachment comb described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,622,745 is a single piece device in which the adjustment feature is realized by varying the position of where the attachment comb is secured to the hair cutting device. This type of adjustable attachment comb is capable of being affixed to the hair cutting device in several different locations along a plane defined by an extension of the cutting blades, which results in the distance between the cutting edges of the blades and the surface of the skin being different at each location. While such an adjustable attachment comb normally provides effective operation, on occasion the comb may become dislodged from its designated position if undue force is utilized, resulting in a change of the cutting length.
Additionally, with this type of adjustable attachment comb, the preselected cutting length is not maintained upon removal of the comb from the hair cutting device. Thus, upon re-installation of the attachment comb, a different securing position for the attachment comb may unintentionally be selected, resulting in the hair being cut to a length other than the uniform length originally selected.
Further, since this type of adjustable attachment comb relies upon a special configuration on both the attachment comb and on the hair cutting device for attaching the attachment comb to the hair cutting device, use of such an attachment comb is limited to hair cutting devices that are specially configured for receiving the adjustable attachment comb.
In addition to the single piece adjustable attachment comb just described, combs of a two piece design are also known. However, there are also problems associated with some models of the two piece design. Some models of the two piece design are not capable of maintaining their setting of a particular cut length after being removed from the hair cutting device. Thus, in a similar manner to that previously described in relation to the single piece adjustable comb, some two piece attachment combs may be re-installed upon the cutting device at a setting other than that originally intended, which results in the hair being cut to a length other than the uniform length previously selected.
An additional problem encountered with some two piece attachment combs relates to the comb's ability to be used to cut hair to relatively long lengths. In some previous designs, the strands of hair would not be adequately lifted by the fins, and therefore they were not properly positioned at the cutting blades. This problem could result in the hair being cut to uneven lengths.
In light of the problems discussed above, and other problems associated with presently available attachment combs, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved adjustable attachment comb for use in trimming hair to any one of a number of different uniform lengths.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved adjustable attachment comb in which the comb is securely maintained in the desired position upon the hair cutting device.
A third object of the present invention is to provide an improved adjustable attachment comb that can be maintained at a selected adjustment position even when the attachment comb is removed from the hair cutting device, so that it can also be re-installed upon the hair cutting device with the same selected adjustment position.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved adjustable attachment comb of a two-piece design that includes a movable comb body and a stationary comb chassis.
A related object of the present invention is to provide an improved adjustable attachment comb of a two-piece design that may be attached to a hair cutting device where the adjustability feature does not rely upon a special configuration of the attachment comb seating area on the hair cutting device in which adjustments are realized by positioning the comb upon the cutting device in different locations, but where the adjustability is instead realized by relative movement within the two-piece attachment comb unit. In this manner, hair cutting devices will be able to receive the present two-piece adjustable attachment comb, as well as being able to receive one-piece attachment combs that are not adjustable.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved adjustable attachment comb of a two piece design suitable for cutting hair to relatively long lengths.
A related object is to provide an improved adjustable attachment comb of a two piece design in which both pieces include a set of fins thereon, and where the fins cooperate to adequately lift the strands of hair to enable the hair to be cut to relatively long lengths.
Yet another related object of the present invention is to provide an improved two piece attachment comb with a set of fins on each piece where the set of fins on one piece of the comb are capable of sliding within a set of channels on the other set of fins, whereby a variable length lifting surface is created.
These and other objects of the present invention are discussed or will be apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention.